2017 Begins With Lots of Hope for Virtual Reality

Samsung Gear VR is the biggest winner, according to a new survey by ReportLinker.

VR manufacturers have attracted press attention by releasing new products in the fall and during the holiday season. Since the last ReportLinker survey about Virtual Reality Technology, awareness of the VR technology has risen a lot. According to a new ReportLinker poll, 31% of American respondents say they are very familiar with the virtual reality technology, meaning this statistic has nearly doubled since last September (16%).

With marketers’ efforts and the availability of VR headsets in stores before Christmas, more respondents were able to try them (+20pts compared to last September), which explains better awareness of the VR technology and brands.

Samsung benefited from this widespread awareness. More respondents quoted Samsung as a player in the new virtual reality industry: three out of ten respondents spontaneously mentioned the brand. There were less than 10% who could, last September. More than half of them mentioned Samsung Gear VR when it was suggested to them (versus 31% in September).

Less respondents did not know what to answer when they were asked about a top-of-mind VR brand (aided or not).

Oculus Rift and Google also played their cards right: more respondents, especially men, named the two brands more than in the last ReportLinker survey (+16pts for Oculus Rift and +23pts for Google in aided questions). That may be explained by the Google Daydream release last November and the many announcements Facebook made about Oculus Rift headsets in the fall.

With 83% of American respondents having a positive attitude towards Virtual Reality, the technology is much more appreciated than 3 months ago (+11pts). The VR market might begin opening and reaching an early majority of customers. Millennials were early adopters of the VR technology, according to the last ReportLinker survey. However, they have now been overtaken by older generations who are more positive toward this immersive reality (83% are positive vs. 68% in September).

This survey conducted by ReportLinker reached 738 online respondents representative of the US population. Interviews were conducted between December, 30th and January, 2nd 2017.